The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-02-24
Is He Inconsistant2

|
Taylor has gone back upon his de-
clarations made IN the canvass.
The charge is serious one, and it
ought to be met and exposed. 1t
is assumed by his accusers that he
violently denounced and opposed
the Blair bill in his canvass and
that he favors it now. Neither of
these are true. It is stretching
facts towards both extremes. Let's
go back to the beginning. Mr..
Taylor said in his letter of accep-
tance:
81 favor most positively and earnest.
ly system of universal free education,
and believe that such a system can be
best established and carried out
through the sale of our immense pub
lie domain
That is his first utterance. Now
read his last:
By thorough reformation of our
revenue system we may so improve
our finances as to be able to better
provide for the support of our public
| schools; but complete and sufficient
! provision can hardly be made until our
taxable wealth shall have been greatly
increased by a more extensive develop
ment of our resources. But until this
shall take place where shall we. look
for complement to the provision We
are able to make? For the children of
the present who cannot wait, how shall
we supply the great deficit in our
or <,Al f,, Th.,, IS
pie are anxiously turning their eyes to
the general government for aid.
My sense of duty to the children Of
the state compels me to say that if there
is surplus of money in the national
treasury not applicable to the payment
OF the national debt, the appropriation
of the same for this purpose, stripped OF
the conditions of federal supervision
would be an inestimable blessing to
them.
This is his first and his last ut
terance and they do not differ.
Now what did he say in his
speeches?
He said the Blair bill acas dead
killed by the resolution which 9TH
erwise disposed of the surplus.
Does the reader not remem Der that?
That was the basis of his opposi-
ton and the burden of his speech.
He never said he opposed federal
aid, but he said the bill was dead
there was nc surplus. Where is
any inconsistency in Gov. Taylor?
We ask the democrats of Giles to
take these three statements and
compare them and render honest
judgment.
Now we call the readers atten-
ton to the real discrepancy. Gov.
Taylor has not made it. These
two statements at the beginning
and the end of the canvass coin
eide. Neither of them endorse the
Blair bill. The real discrepancy
consists in the difference between
other mems statements and Bob Tay-
lor's statements. Does the reader
remember how lightly he touched
on the Blair bill here2 He opposed
it but he did not rant and fume
over it. Bob Taylor preached one
doctrine and the reporters and
newspapers and stumping states
men preached another. That's
where the difference is. The reader
in Giles remembers the John Gilpin
ride the reporter made Bob Taylor
take the morning he was peacefully
sleeping at Dee Wilson's near Dell
rose. That is the kind of reports
that went up from all over Tennes-
see. The people read them and be-
Iieved them, and now Bob Taylor
is to be tried and convicted on
such evidence.
The meanest niger in Tennessee
is entitled to fairer treatment than
that.
Read the testimony here adduced
and judge this man honestly. One
further point we call attention to;
Gov. Taylor would be justified now
in favoring the Blair bill (although
he has not gone that far) by the
terms of the arguments he used in
the canvass. He opposed it because
congress had passed a resolution
declaring the surplus should be ap-
pliea to the debt. Since then the
surplus has been applied TO the
debt until nearly all the debt due
has been paid, and still there is a
surplus. The reasons for which he
applied it have been met. He OPP
posed it also because it was said it
involved federal supervision. He
never did believe that and yet be
deferred to his advisors. He oppo-
ses it yet if it does provide for fed
eral control, but if he is convinced
that it does not lie would not be in
consistent if he should even openly
favor the bill.
Is not the above a fair exposition
of the main facts2 Is Gov. Taylor
inconsistent with himself? The
mistake arises from attributing tc
him sentiments and opinions ex-
pressed by candidates for the senate
who stumped the state and by the
American.
| Gov. Taylor's first utterance was
for federal aid and his last one i.
no more than that. He announced
in every speech he made that he was
for federal aid. He has not endors
ed the Blair bill, though he might
with propriety and consistency
do so.
Fellow citizens, this man has beer
uniustly accused. And who is his
principal accuser? The man who
bought the American six years age
to bolt the party with and who is
using it to-day to break down 6
brave, generous, loyal young demo
crat because he will not permit him
to dictate>his policy and name his
appointees. Will the people desert
BOB Taylor on such false accuse
tons?
Come Out q the Right Side.
There are many democrats in the
country who opposed the Blair bill
under misapprehension and it il